sepheronx wrote:I am not knowledgeable on this tech, but is there any way they can reduce the matrix so it doesn't require the cooling? Since Armata uses what Orion makes.

I am no more knowledgeable than you are I guess you would get way too much noise on that kind of sensor without cooling it.

Cooled sensors are prefered on "machinery" as its not an issue for vehicles to have slight increase in size and weight or power. Uncooled variants are prefered on soldier or light equipment.

That's how I understood it too(hence the cryostat comment). However my question is still pending. Aren't we a bit easy going when saying that corruption is responsible for the lack of IR goggles in the russian army. I am having the impression that IWT acted as an integrator using whatever ITAR free sensor. Given the current political situation, that product is a no-go for the russian army

Are you sure that product is not based upon an imported microbolometer however ? I am thinking about VOx Ulis matrices

Which might well be the case, however IWT still markets it AND they have given quotes for it to Indonesia (brace for it, ~4000USD per set). Sooo...

It is the case i belive. However you know how it works, if IWT sends documentation about signed contract with Indonesia and they get materials, if Russia decides to buy 5.000 for domestic use, they just say: "lol you are under sanctions".

sepheronx wrote:But if Russia already makes the sensors via NPO Orion, wouldn't it make sense to then somehow reduce the need for it to be cooled in order to use them in other purposes?

Well the orion sensors are supposed to work at 40~80 K. You are proposing to increase that to room temperature in order to dump the cryostat. I seriously doubt this is achievable with the HgCdTe semicos. You will have to set another line for those uncooled sensors (VOx, Amorphous Si, whatever...). And of course that's hard and not really cheap for a market that might be fairly competitive when not considering ITAR restrictions

well microbolometer.ru talks of it, and of course theirs are SOFRADIR microbolometers: https://translate.yandex.by/web?url=http://microbolometer.ru/catalog/2-ir-sensors.html

Question is though, if they are made in Russia under license (for example, the T-90 thermals uses the Sofradir and it is apparently made in Russa), couldn't they use it for other applications?

Well, due to sanctions, Russia has nowhere else to go but for themselves in terms of purchasing the microbolometers. So in this case, they have no choice but to develop it. Rostec owns Schvab and Orion, so it is more or less the ones who will make it (since they are making all the other imagers as well. Orion is making a new one for space that was posted recently and they are the ones making the thermal imagers for Armata) and since Schvab deals with military scopes and what not as well.........

Last edited by sepheronx on Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

Are you sure that product is not based upon an imported microbolometer however ? I am thinking about VOx Ulis matrices

Which might well be the case, however IWT still markets it AND they have given quotes for it to Indonesia (brace for it, ~4000USD per set). Sooo...

It is the case i belive. However you know how it works, if IWT sends documentation about signed contract with Indonesia and they get materials, if Russia decides to buy 5.000 for domestic use, they just say: "lol you are under sanctions".

Shall we recall the IWT Charon found on the rifle of the slain Russian SOF back in March?

Let's not make hasty judgements. IWT as an armament company is typically marked for sanctions as a whole if it deals with Russia, same for KC. Sanctions are however not applicable for Molot although they make the same products and part of their output comes/goes from/to Izhmash according to orders.

Same deal here, there's little control over what parts are used and for what customers. Also while Katod has worked with Sofradir (Ulis), which is a French company, there is no other indication that IWT works with them or has worked with them.

Are you sure that product is not based upon an imported microbolometer however ? I am thinking about VOx Ulis matrices

Which might well be the case, however IWT still markets it AND they have given quotes for it to Indonesia (brace for it, ~4000USD per set). Sooo...

It is the case i belive. However you know how it works, if IWT sends documentation about signed contract with Indonesia and they get materials, if Russia decides to buy 5.000 for domestic use, they just say: "lol you are under sanctions".

Shall we recall the IWT Charon found on the rifle of the slain Russian SOF back in March?

Let's not make hasty judgements. IWT as an armament company is typically marked for sanctions as a whole if it deals with Russia, same for KC. Sanctions are however not applicable for Molot although they make the same products and part of their output comes/goes from/to Izhmash according to orders.

Same deal here, there's little control over what parts are used and for what customers. Also while Katod has worked with Sofradir (Ulis), which is a French company, there is no other indication that IWT works with them or has worked with them.

We don't know what it is using. For all we know, they could be using a Russian based microbolometer if companies like Orion makes them (since they only make cooled units, maybe not). Thing is, I don't think Russia can obtain the French ones anymore due to sanctions on defense companies. Already heavy sanctions on Uralvagonzavod as an example, and Rostec who supplies the microbolometers for Uralvagonzavods thermal sights. So it is safe to assume the same for all other defense companies. Molot is able to bypass it for being registered as a separate company altogether that isn't a classified supplier to the Russian army.

"The Russian Company Radioavionica presents latest generation of communication and observation equipment which is now integrated to the Russian Future soldier project "Ratnik". The whole system of Radioavionica called 83T215I includes operation control console, telephone microphone headset, multifunctional console, satellite navigation system module, power supply container, hardware box and individual charger. The main tasks of the kit is to collect, receive and transmit information about the tactical situation, order from the superior authorities, data about position and the enemy intelligence. All these information can be displayed in text or graphical form on individual screen.

The 83T215I communication system has a total weight of 2,4 kg and can be used a maximum distance of 1,5 km. It has a total of 11 radio frequency channels and a data transfer speed of 11 Mbit/s.

Two kits are available, one for the individual soldier and one for commanding officer. The individual soldier kit is designed for execution of individual and group information tasks enhancing the efficiency of control of individual soldiers in the chain "company — platoon — squad — soldier", as well as control of units and weapon in all combat types when performing operations on foot and at combined order of battle. Moreover, the kit ensures an automated optical reconnaissance of objects (targets), their location, and coordinate information exchange with superior command authorities for the purpose of target firing.

The commander kit is designed to automate the process of solving settlement-tactical and information tasks, including complex task of collecting data about the situation, the organization and conduction of hostilities. The kit provides making on informed decision on joining the battle, organization and control of hostilities, prediction and assessment of the effectiveness of combat operations, enhancing the stability and efficiency of control of individual soldiers in the chain "company — platoon — squad — soldier", as well as control of units and weapon in all combat types when performing operations on foot and at combined order of battle.

According to the head of Russia's Advanced Research Fund, Russian scientists are working on creating third generation "future soldier" equipment.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian scientists are working on creating third generation "future soldier" equipment, or Ratnik-3, the head of Russia's Advanced Research Fund told Sputnik.

"Work on the Ratnik-2 is carried out by the Defense Ministry, while we are working on, so to say, Ratnik-3," Andrei Grigoriev said.

Railguns will be truly effective no sooner than in 50 years, and recent news on US railgun tests are likely related to the military budget process, the head of Russia's Advanced Research Fund said.

"The issue of effective railgun use will probably take another 50 years to decide," Andrei Grigoriev said.

"Work in this direction has been carried out for 50 years already and I wouldn't react strongly to recent publications. I think that there is a usual struggle in the United States on the approval of the military budget, they need to showcase some sort of scientific and technological achievements," he added.

The latest Russian superzaschitny 6B48 set tank "Warrior-EK"￼As part of the "Tank biathlon" in podmoskovskom Alabino could see various models of military technology and equipment, located on the Russian Army. In particular, much attention of visitors attracted new protective kit for the crews of armored vehicles 6B48 "Warrior-EK", entered service two years ago.

From the explanatory material of the Moscow Center of high-strength materials "Armokom" know that the package is designed to protect the crew fighting vehicles from the effects of secondary fragments in the crew compartment, open flame, thermal effects, and protect the knee and elbow joints against mechanical damage.

A first protective body armor structure used bronepaket hybrid based on traditional ballistic fabrics in combination with the nonwoven materials of aramid fibers.

Coverall can withstand open flame up to 15 seconds. Time enough to leave a burning military vehicle.

As explained by the "Bulletin of Mordovia" one of the leading Russian military expert, chief editor of "Arsenal Fatherland" Viktor Murakhovski, at its creation is taken into account foreign and rich domestic experience. We still in the 1980s there were fire-retardant overalls with masks and gloves. But, unfortunately, there was no Ballistic protection, and shrapnel injury accounts for 70% of injuries.

The Russian Defense Ministry and the Russian State Corporation Rostec are developing brand-new bulletproof vests due to be made of ultra-light and high-strength material.

Using the newest synthetic materials for producing bulletproof vests will help significantly reduce the weight of these armored jackets which are designed for the Russian Armed Forces, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

The newspaper quoted a Russian Defense Ministry source as saying that research work on the new bulletproof vest comes as part of the development of the Ratnik-3 personal combat uniform kit.

According to a spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry familiar with the situation, the research work, which was officially launched in January 2016, aims to create the third-generation soldier equipment using advanced materials.

"In particular, a servicemen's uniform will be made of aramid fiber, while bulletproof vests and protective helmets will be produced with the help of armor ceramics which will contain boron carbide," the spokesperson said. The new body armor will be used both for Ratnik-2 and Ratnik-3 infantry combat systems, he said, adding that the use of new materials will allow the producer to slash the weight of the bulletproof vest without sacrificing its durability.

"With the current bulletproof vest in its complete configuration, including the protection of the groin, forearm and neck, weighing about 15 kilograms, the new body armor's weight will be reduced by 20-30 percent", he said.

As for boron carbide, an extremely hard boron–carbon ceramic and covalent material used in tank armor, it is already produced by the experimental production enterprises Bifors and NEFS-Soyuz in Russia, according to the spokesperson.

Earlier, Russian Land Forces commander Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov said that more than 80,000 Russian servicemen were equipped with Ratnik-2 "soldier of the future" gear in 2015.

The Ratnik-2 outfit adds significantly to the soldier's combat efficiency and survivability, not least because it's lighter; at 20 kilograms, it weighs just half as much as its predecessor.

The Ratnik gear comprises more than 40 components, including firearms, body armor, and optical, communication and navigation devices, as well as life support and power supply systems.

The Ratnik outfit is mainly designed for snipers, riflemen, drivers of armored vehicles and airborne combat vehicle gunners. Russian military engineers are working out unified combat subsystems where a soldier may act as part of a single structure. The Ratnik gear helps a soldier maintain stable radio contact and receive continuously updated reconnaissance data about enemy positions and the overall situation in the combat zone, something that makes him an intellectual fighting machine.

I have few questions concerning the Ratnik distribution across Russian Army Units :

1/ during the victory day parade of 2016 , I was amazed by the quality and design of the tactical Vest 6Б46 worn by a formation of the 331th airborne regiment of the 98th airborne division , so I concluded that airborne & ground force Spetsnaz brigades will adopt this vest as standard issure tactical and bulletproff vest , but in recent photo of paratroopers training in egypt , the soldiers were wearing 6Ш117 equipement vest , so i'm a little bit confused , the 6Б46 vest will be adopted by all elite units or some of them ?

2/ In recent statements , we say that as for september 2016 , 100.000 ratnik 's were distributed across russian army , when we say 100.000 , it's the whole system or the bulletproof vest & helmet only ?